Rourkela/Soro/Baripada: At least seven persons died while two others suffered critical injuries in separate incidents of lightning strike in Odisha on Sunday.
Three persons including two brothers were killed and two others seriously injured when lightning struck them during a hockey match at Shankarabahal village under Talasara police station limits in Odisha’s Sundargarh district in the afternoon on Sunday.
According to reports, the people of Shankarabahal village were watching a hockey match on the outskirts of the village when heavy rain lashed. At this, some of the villagers ran to a nearby tree near the field and stood under it to escape from rain when lightning struck suddenly killing three persons on the spot.
The two seriously injured villagers were rushed to the district headquarters hospital.
In another incident, a girl died after being struck by thunderbolt at Sanakeraka village in Mayurbhanj district.
Similarly, a person was killed due to lightning strike at Bishnupur under Bahanaga block in Balasore district while another death was reported from Kupari village under Khaira tehsil in the district.
Besides, a man was also killed after being hit by lightning strike at Bati village under Simulia police limits in the same district.